But the Balkan ace is convinced his improving nation can cause major problems for Craig Levein's troops and grab priceless World Cup points at Hampden.

Ivanovski and the rest of Cedomir Janevski’s squad jetted into Glasgow Airport last night nursing a mixture of frustration and confidence after their 1-0 defeat in Zagreb on Friday night.

For lengthy spells Macedonia outplayed the Group A top seeds but they suffered heartbreak when former Rangers star Nikica Jelavic headed a late winner.

Although gutted at leaving the Maksimir Stadium pointless, striker Ivanovski insists the encouraging display proves Macedonia will be dangerous opponents for Levein’s team on Tuesday night.

However, the 22-year-old, who plays for Romanian side Astra Ploiesti, is also sure the Croats were below their best and Scotland will be a step up. Ivanovski (below) said: “We played really well against Croatia.

“But our opponents were not as good as they can be – certainly not as good as they showed they were at Euro 2012.

“When you play against a team ranked 10th in the world, you expect to learn a lot of lessons. When Croatia play as they did on Friday, you learn nothing.

“So Scotland at Hampden is going to be a much bigger test than Zagreb.

“The Scots have a very good team and their players are used to playing at a high level.

“Some of them play in the Champions League and some in the English Premiership.

“Scotland can pass well but they also run hard and fight for every ball.

“Basing my judgment on how Croatia played against us and how I expect Scotland to be in their own stadium, I believe Glasgow will be a harder night.”

Despite sounding his note of caution, there is no doubting the optimism within the Macedonian ranks.

Janevski’s team dominated the first half in Zagreb but the fine line between success and failure was illustrated when Goran Pandev was denied a clear penalty then rifled in a shot that hit the underside of the bar.

Had either of those moments gone in favour of the underdogs, they would have been in line for victory and Ivanovski said: “We were much better than Croatia for spells.

“It was a clear penalty when Pandev was fouled inside the area.

“Then he also had a shot that hit the bar. These are the tiny margins which make the difference between winning and losing, the really small details.

“We are talking about 10 centimetres when Pandev’s shot hit the bar and bounced down and the ref just didn’t see a foul on him.

“Although we don’t want the same result, we definitely hope to take the performance we had in Zagreb into Hampden.

“If we do that I’m sure we can get a goal and some points. We have nothing to fear.

“It doesn’t matter what the scoreline is at the end if you don’t take any points.

“We’ll attack and try to get something. That is the tactic of our coach.”

Ivanovski has done his homework on the Scots and is disappointed there will be a hole in Levein’s engine room.

He said: “Darren Fletcher is one of my favourite players. He is very good for Man United and it’s sad he will not be there.

“But Alan Hutton is a strong full-back and Kenny Miller is a clever and fast striker who has been around for a long time. Everyone knows his strengths.”